Yang Zi

Yang Zi (; born 6 November 1992), also known as Andy Yang, is a Chinese actress and singer. Known for her roles in film and television, she has received several accolades including a Magnolia Award. Yang has ranked among China's most influential and highest paid actresses and was named as one of the Four Dan Actresses of the post 90s generation by Southern Metropolis Daily. on 6 November 1992 in Fangshan District, Beijing, China. Her father Yang Yunfei was a firefighter who worked in emergency rescue and disaster relief and her mother Ma Haiyan was a housewife. Her father named her Yang Ni’ao to wish China a successful bid for the Olympics. From an early age, her parents accompanied her to various audition because of her love for acting. She first starred in Ru Chi Chu Shan at the age of 6. and Beijing No. 55 High School. In 2010, she was accepted to Beijing Film Academy

Career 1999–2009: Beginnings and rise to prominence In 1999, Yang made her acting debut by playing Zhou Qiong in Ru Ci Chu Shan. In February 2011, she starred in the family drama Love Comes Knocking on the Door, based on the novel Stepmother by Geling Yan. Her role as a rebellious teenager allowed her to successfully shed her image of a "child star". and has reached a total of 10 billion online views. Yang's portrayal of the kindhearted and patriotic young lady received positive reviews. The same month, she co-starred in the horror mystery web series The Ferryman. Yang gained wider popularity as a result and was nominated at the 22nd Huading Awards as Best Actress in the ancient drama category for her performance. In August, Yang starred in the fantasy romance drama Ashes of Love, playing an innocent and lively fairy maiden. Yang received acclaim for her acting and experienced a new high in popularity. On 26 November, she joined Sina Entertainment's year-end special project short film "The Most Beautiful Performance". In July, she starred in the e-sport romantic comedy drama Go Go Squid!, playing a talented computer major who is also a popular online singer. The success of Go Go Squid reaffirmed Yang's popularity. She won the Best Actress award in modern drama category at the 26th Huading Awards for her performance. She then joined the third season of cooking reality show Chinese Restaurant 3 as a regular cast member.

In February 2021, Yang played a guest role in Dt.Appledog's Time, the sequel to her hit drama Go Go Squid!. On 15 November 2021, Yang Zi posted on social media, announcing that the six-year contract with H&R Century Pictures would not be renewed and on 16 November, she established her personal studio. In November, she played the titular character psychologist He Dun, in the urban drama Psychologist, the television series adaption of Bi Shumin's 2007 novel "Female Psychologist", directed by Malaysian director Sam Quah.

On 4 January 2022, Yang participated in an episode of People's Dailys "Dream Radio" Season 4: "Chinese Youth" as a guest host to promote Beijing Winter Olympic with Olympic gold medalist athlete Li Jianrou. On 15 February, she joined Tencent's "Olympic Report Star Radio" for the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2022 Winter Paralympics. In March, she starred in the romance drama The Oath of Love, playing a cellist. The series was a commercial success and was streamed over 3.8 billion times during its broadcast and won the "Tencent Business Breakthrough Award", one of the highest platform-level award. In July, she starred in the fantasy romance drama Immortal Samsara, playing a lotus fairy. In July, she starred in costume myth drama Lost You Forever. In February, she made a special appearance in the comedy film YOLO. Yang's acting as well as her dedication for filming the series in an unfavorable condition gained praises. She won the Best Actress award at the 31st Shanghai Television Festival for her performance. She endorses a wide range of products including food and beverages, daily necessities and hygiene products, fashion and beauty, mobile applications and games etc. She endorses many well-known international brands including Valentino, Prada Beauty, APM Monaco, and Michael Kors, as well as big domestic brands such as Bosideng, Yang Yuan Qing and BOLON Eyewear. In August 2022, Chery Automobile announced Yang as their global brand ambassador.

On 3 July 2023, Yang was appointed as the official ambassador for MLB China. She attended the MLB All Star Game in Seattle on 11 July. In October, she attended the Valentino Paris Fashion Week show and was subsequently announced as Valentino's brand ambassador the month after. APM Monaco announced Yang as their Global Brand Ambassador in December and in April the following year, she launched her own Capsule Collection with the brand. In January 2024, Yang was announced as Prada's makeup and fragrance ambassador. In September, she took on the title of Michael Kors's APAC brand ambassador.

Stage performances On 27 January 2017, Yang appeared on the stage of CCTV Spring Festival Gala for the first time and performed the opening song "Beautiful Youths of China" with her sisters from Ode to Joy and TFBoys. On 16 September, she appeared on Vision Wei's 10th Anniversary Concert in Beijing as a special guest, performing "Looking for Someone" and "Our Little World" with the singer. On 15 February 2018, she participated in the comedy skit "At Your Service" at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala with Lin Yongjian, Li Mingqi, and Dai Chunrong. On 31 December, she attended the Hunan TV New Year Eve Concert and performed the song "Unsullied" which is the opening theme song of her drama Ashes of Love.

On 4 February 2019, Yang participated in the comedy skit "Platform" at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala with Shang Daqing, Li Wenqi, Huang Xiaojun and Tong Dawei. On 5 February, she appeared on the Beijing Television Spring Festival Gala and sang the song "Childhood" with 3 other artist. On 31 December, she participated in the Hunan TV New Year Eve Concert, performing "Possible Night". On 24 January 2020, she performed "Meeting in 20 Years Again" alongside Angela Zhang, Xu Ziwei, and Roy Wang at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. On 25 January, she participated in Beijing Television Spring Festival Gala together with her co-stars from Home with Kids and performed the song "Beijing, My Love". She was named the promotional ambassador for the event in December 2019. On 30 September, she participated in the 2020 CCTV National Day Gala and sang the song "Upward Light". On 17 October, Yang attended the 70th Anniversary Celebration of Beijing Film Academy and presented the opening speech of the ceremony. On 31 December, she participated in the Dragon TV New Year Eve Concert, performing "Unsullied", "One person Likes One Person", "Milk Bread", and "Us", the OST of her dramas Ashes of Love, The Oath of Love, Go Go Squid!, and Ode to Joy, respectively.

On 4 May 2021, she participated in CCTV's May 4 Youth Day special program Fight for Youth and performed the song "Landscape Painting". On 31 December, Yang performed the song "The Guardian of Princess Wendy" at the Hunan TV New Year Eve Concert. On 3 May 2022, she participated in Henan Television's May 4 Youth Day special program Long Live Youth. On 31 December, she performed the song "Pink Ocean" at the Hunan TV New Year Eve Gala.

On 21 January 2023, Yang attended CCTV Spring Festival Gala and participated in the opening performance "The Flower Gardener" alongside several other artist and sport persona. She also took part in the comedy skit "I'll Be There Soon" with Wang Baoqiang and Wang Ning. On 31 December, she performed "Lost You Forever", one of the OST of her drama Lost You Forever.

Public image Influence Due to the popularity of Home with Kids, Yang was dubbed as the "Nation's Daughter". Her digital cover of Esquire Fine China September issue sold more than 150K copies in 10 minutes. In December, she was awarded the "iQiyi Scream Goddess" award at the 8th iQiyi All-Star Carnival. In 2023, she became the first post-90s actress to take the cover of first line men's magazine Esquire China. She also became the first ever female to have the dual cover issue for Esquire China and Esquire Fine China. The December issue of Cosmopolitan China with Yang as the cover star sold 100K copies in less than 1 hour and more than 180K copies in first 24 hours.

In January 2024, she was awarded Weibo Queen for the third time, Yang was chosen as the "Most Likeable Celebrity" by 70 media professionals by a survey conducted by Sohu Entertainment. In June 2024, she was announced as one of the torchbearers for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

As of December 2023, Yang has more than 60 million followers on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo. Her topic on Douyin has exceeded 150 billion views making her the first and only post-90s actress to do so.

Ambassadorships and social works WildAid

Yang has been an ambassador for WildAid in China since 2019. On 20 December 2019, Yang participated in "Green Lifestyle" charity project jointly created by China Youth Daily, China Youth Online and WildAid and served as ambassador for the Green Lifestyle Public Welfare Promotion. In November 2020, Yang was announced as the ambassador for Promotional Charity of WildAid, advocating to protect wildlife. On 30 April 2021, WildAid and the China Wildlife Conservation Association co-launched a new PSA and billboard entitled "Bring Home Memories, Not Regrets" in China. The new campaign, led by Yang, calls on families not to purchase ivory and other wildlife products as souvenirs, ahead of May Day, a peak vacation and travel period in China.

She also lends her voice to WildAid's elephant program by starring in the "Be Their Role Model" campaign which asks parents to use their actions to set good examples for the next generation by not consuming ivory and other wildlife products. As the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties (CoP15) opened on 11 October in Kunming, China, WildAid, China Environmental News, and the China Wildlife Conservation Association launched a new billboard campaign series featuring Yang and 3 other WildAid ambassador. She led the COP15 Conservation Biodiversity Campaign, helping to educate the public on the serious consequences of biodiversity loss and calling on the public to take action to protect biodiversity by saying no to illegal wildlife trade.

Others In March 2011, she served as the love ambassador of the "Girl's Heart" charity event, which aims to care for the growth of adolescent girls in millions of families in China. She then participated in "We Share a Blue Sky" charity project. On 22 April 2012, She participated in the 8th Beijing Youth Charity Film Festival as its image ambassador. In July 2013, Yang served as the image ambassador of Chinese Campus Health Action Student Vision Health Guidance Program and encouraged the students to do eye exercise.

In April 2017, She was announced as the smart action ambassador for the China Children and Teenager's Fund. She then participated in a project sponsored by the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and the China Environmental Protection Foundation titled "Towards Ecological Civilization, Salute to Environmental Protection Pioneers" as its Public Welfare Envoy. On 9 September 2017, Yang joined Bazaar Stars' Charity Night to raise money for Bazaars "Accelerating for Love" ambulance project.

In January 2018, Yang participated in China Women's Development Foundation's "Mother's Postal Package" project as its charity ambassador to help mothers and families in poor areas. The same month, she participated in "Our New Era", a public music service advert produced by National Radio and Television Administration to promote youths and Chinese films and recorded a song titled "Thumbs Up For The New Era" and took part in its MV filming along with 20 other artists. In 6 August, she participated in the "For Hope+1" project organized by China Women's Development Foundation to help children with sJIA. She then joined the "My Hometown and Me" campaign jointly initiated by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and Weibo to help fight poverty.

In October 2018, Yang was announced as an advocate for National Mental Health. She participated in the "Watch Hunger Stop" charity project through Instagram. In November, she joined the People's Daily to mark the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening up of the "China has me" activity. Then she participated in the celebration of the reform and opening up jointly produced by the Beijing Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and China Youth Daily, recorded the song "The Future Me" and took part in its MV filming. On 5 September, She joined Public Welfare Fund for the "Philharmonic Listening Program" as the ambassador of love. She then participated in the "Beautiful China" education support project that focused on rural education. On 1 November, China Fire and Rescue announced Yang as the messenger for National Fire Prevention Public Welfare. On 17 November 2019, She participated in Bazaar Stars' Charity Night and performed a song titled "Mercury" to support an aesthetic education charity project.

In January 2020, National Anti-fraud Center announced Yang as their guardian ambassador. On 9 March, Yang participated in "China Science Popularization Month" event and was named as the ambassador for China Popular Science Month Anti-epidemic Science. In April, she participated in World Health Organization's anti-epidemic welfare activities. On 17 October, the 7th National Poverty Alleviation Day, she was invited to work as an Advocate for the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to help alleviate poverty. On 28 August, the Supreme People's Court and the People's Court released a mini-video on the popularity of the Public Welfare Act of the Civil Code and invited Yang to participate in the mini-video to explain the rules as China's first ambassador for "Civil Code".

In January 2021, Yang joined hands with Han Hong Love Charity Foundation along with more than 40 celebrity volunteers to support the advocate and practice of public welfare everywhere. In February, she was invited to participate in a video series event as one of the Observer of Law for the Supreme People's Court. On 11 March, she was announced as the first campus charity ambassador of the 11th National Youth Green Plant Adoption. On 12 April, Yang was announced as the promoter of Cybersecurity Education for the 6th National Security Education Day.

Then American cosmetics brand Origins and their brand spokesperson Yang have jointly launched Earth Month environment protection welfare activities in China. On 1 December, Yang and Psychologist joined hands with UNAID for an AIDS Awareness campaign for World AIDS Day 2021. On 4 January 2022, Yang joined hands with China Social Welfare Foundation as one of the public welfare ambassador of "Warm Heart Plan - Love for Farmers" project.

Philanthropy In 2008, at the age of 15, Yang went to help children affected by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake with her father as a volunteer. In July 2009, she participated in a child star charity project, withdrew part of the project's fund and donated it to the China Youth Care Foundation and Western China Eagle Education Network to assist young students. Her costume, a pink gauze skirt she wore in Ashes of Love was sold for 12,800 RMB and the money was used in the Amity Foundation's "National Culture Companion Child Growth" project.

In February 2020, Yang donated 500K RMB to help people affected by COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2021, she donated 1.3 million RMB to relieve the damages done in 2021 Henan floods. Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Shanghai, China, which began on 28 February 2022, a grant assistance from the China Film Foundation funded by Yang and 3 other actors started in April. Yang donated more than 16 tons of food supplies and other daily necessities to help people affected by the outbreak together with Huang Xuan, Wan Qian and Wen Qi.

In September, she donated 1 million RMB to relieve the damages done in 2022 Luding earthquake. On the official website of China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, their 2021 Rural Development Annual Report revealed that Yang Zi Studio has become one of their donation partner. In August 2023, she donated 500K RMB to help with the flooding in Beijing and Hebei caused by Typhoon Doksuri. In December, she donated to help with the relief efforts for the victims of the Gansu earthquake through Huang Xiaoming's Tomorrow Foundation.

In January 2025, Yang provided financial support through Tomorrow Foundation for the rescue operation following the 2025 Tibet earthquake. Yang together with all the main creators, leading actors, staff and broadcasting platform of the television series Flourished Peony donated another 300K RMB. In July, she donated to support the rescue operation by Tomorrow Foundation in the flood-affected areas of Northern China. In November, she donated 1 million RMB during the Wang Fuk Court fire to support the resettlement and reconstruction of homes for the affected residents. In July 2026, Yang, along with eleven other artist donated funds and sent emergency relief supplies to 4,000 family in the flood-affected areas of Guangxi through Tomorrow Foundation.

Filmography Film Year English title Chinese title Role Notes/Ref. 2003 The Law of Romance Cameo 2004 Girl's Diary Ran Dongyang Lao Fei Xiao Lan An Old Record Ding Yun Dad Wants to Divorce Ji Ji The Quiet Lady He Lan 2007 The Last Fragrance Duo Lun 2008 I Am a Fan Qiao Xiaoqiao 2009 Mo's Mischief: Teacher's Pet Ma Xiaotiao Voice-dubbed Ma-Mha Nan Qian Voice-dubbed 2010 Boy and Girl Ran Dongyang Money Makes Trouble Shi Xiaotao Third Class Fifth Class Ran Dongyang Death and Glory in Changde Tao Er 2012 Mother's Call Qiao Ni Insistence Jia Jia 2014 King Tea Storm Xie Xiaoxiang 2015 Where Are All The Time Lin Yutong 2016 Papa Wang Nina Crying Out in Love Xia Ye 2018 A Paper Marriage Ling Ling 2019 The Bravest Wang Lu Bodies at Rest Qiao Lin 2020 My People, My Homeland Jiang Ziya Soul Snatcher Ying Wuxie Voice-dubbed 2024YOLODou DouCameo Drug HuntingLuo Jia The War of LightTBA

Television series

Short film Year English title Chinese title Role Notes/Ref. 2016 17 Bring Joy Home Yang Zi Pepsi short film 2017 Today, She Has Anticipation Too Qiu Yingying Ode to Joy special 2018 The Eve Xiao Liu Sina Entertainment's year-end special 2019 The Wind is Blowing Daughter Lay's short film 2020 Hear Her Xiao Yu Episode 2: "Wish for Love"

Variety shows Year English title Chinese title Network Role Notes/Ref. 2014 We Are Young 2 Jiangsu Television Cast member 2015 Sisters Over Flowers Dragon TV 2018 Give Me Five 2 Zhejiang TV 2019 Chinese Restaurant 3 Hunan TV 2021 The Detectives' Adventures iQIYI

Discography Albums Year English title Chinese title Notes/Ref. 2008 Home With Snow

Soundtrack appearances Year English title Chinese title Album Notes/Ref.2009 "Grow a little everyday" Don't Want to Grow Up OST 2010 "Living Happily" Good to be Living OST with various singers 2012 "The Quiet Rubble" Insistence OST 2013 "Blooming Rouge" King Rouge OST2014 "I Will Remember You" Battle of Changsha OSTwith Wallace Huo 2016 "More Fragrant Than Flowers" Ode to Joy OST "There Will Be Happiness Waiting for You" with Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Wang Ziwen & Qiao Xin "Just Like When We First Met" Noble Aspirations 2 OST 2017 "Kungfu Yoga" Kung Fu Yoga OST with Jackie Chan & Zhang Yishan "Earthworm" Ode to Joy 2 OST "Us" with Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Wang Ziwen & Qiao Xin 2018 "Few Lifetimes of Happiness" The Destiny of White Snake OST "Unparalleled in the World" Ashes of Love OST with Deng Lun "Love Frost" 2019 "Milk Bread" Go Go Squid! OST "Breaking the Silence" Bodies at Rest OST with Richie Jen & MC Jin "Windy Night" My Mowgli Boy OST 2020 "My Homeland" My People, My Homeland OST with Wang Junkai, Roy Wang, Han Haolin & Jackie Li "Bring Your Own Breeze" Qing Feng (Breeze) Endorsement Song with Mosaic Band 2021 "Flower Room Cafe" Psychologist OST with pianist Wu Muye "Psychological Master" with Wang Jia & Jian Renzi 2022 "Someone Who Loves Someone" The Oath of Love OST "The Oath of Love" with Xiao Zhan "Watch The Day" Immortal Samsara OST 2023"See and Miss One Another"Lost You Forever OST "Favor Mortal Fireworks"with Tan Jianci "A Vine On A Tall Mountain" 2024"Flying Back to Childhood"Love Endures OST "Appearance"with Stefanie Sun "It's Mom and Daughter"Best Choice Ever OST with He Saifei 2025"Do Not Conform"Flourished Peony OST

Other appearances Year English title Chinese title Notes/Ref. 2017 "Beautiful Youths of China" 美丽中国年 Performance for CCTV Spring Festival Gala 2018 "China" Theme song for China's Communist Youth League "The Future Me" Project for People's Republic of China's 70th anniversary 2019"Dream" Theme song for China Student Television Festival 2020"Meeting in 20 Years Again" Performance for CCTV Spring Festival Gala "The Figure of an Angel" Tribute song for the COVID-19 Frontliners 2023"The Flower Gardener"Performance for CCTV Spring Festival Gala

Accolades Awards and nominations

Forbes China Celebrity 100 YearRank 201773rd 201924th 202013th 20218th

Listicles

Footnotes